Hello: Welcome to my blog dedicated to well-known and arcane bits of garden history, horticulture, and the world of vernacular gardening (known outside the academic world simply as "gardening"). Spring is here and I suspect that as the weather warms, I will be focusing on gardening instead of garden history. I'll keep you posted.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Garden Bloggers' Book Club Aug.-Sept., 2007

Like the garden bloggers' bloom day, I have been following and reading the selected books on the garden blogger's book club started by Carol over at Maydreamsgarden.blogspot.com for several months now. I haven't contributed a review yet, but this month I'm on time. I have carefully avoided reading the other reviews so as not to influence my opinion.

A Hoe Lot of Trouble by Heather Webber, 2004:When Carol suggested a gardening mystery for the August/September selection of the Garden Bloggers' Book Club I was thrilled. I was beginning a long vacation at the beach and a mystery was perfect escapist reading. I ordered two selections by Heather Webber, A Hoe Lot of Trouble, and Digging Up Trouble. I also ordered two additional mysteries by Susan Wittig Albert: Bleeding Hearts and Thyme of Death. I read them all. Webber's books were terrible!They were formulaic, predictable, and very light on horticultural information. Here's the formula: a strong woman with an over developed and unbelievable sense of curiosity finds herself unexpectedly in the middle of a murder case. She has either been dumped for another woman and thus has a chip on her shoulder or has just started a relationship with another strong man (pick a cop for either). Her children, family members,or friends generally get involved and have to be rescued. Everyone survives and the murderer is usually someone you do not care for in the first place. The protagonist's career changes from author to author. Caterer - Diane Mott Davidson, English Professor and musician - Virginia Swift, Bounty Hunter - Janet Evonovich, Ex lawyer turned Herbal Shop Keeper - Susan Wittig Albert, Failed law student turned Florist - Kate Collins just to name a few. Some like Davidson, Swift, Evonovich are successful primarily because they are witty and down right hysterical at times. Others like Webber and Collins should find another profession. Webber's heroine is a landscape designer whose company specializes in "surprise garden makeovers". She hires an interesting group of ex offenders and has a parole officer as a best friend. Her husband the cop has left her for his squad partner and his son is a teenager on the edge. Forget the murder situation - I get them mixed up between her two books - they are not compelling. Webber has the ingredients of a good yarn but she falls short on the delivery. Susan Wittig Albert's China Bayles series is better written and includes more horticultural information. I would place her in the middle of the pack. Webber and A Hoe Lot of Trouble - don't bother reading. There are better authors and yarns in the genre. I may have had beach brain and just wanted a beach read for vacation but A Hoe Lot of Trouble and Digging Up Trouble came up very shallow.

Bloom Day, September 15, 2007I love to look at the garden bloggers' picture on "Bloom Day" (generally the 15th of the month). I have vowed to be aware of dates and get my pictures posted in time - I haven't made it yet but this late entry is a close as I have gotten to date. My garden had run on autopilot for much of August and September while I was on Fire Island. I did manage a good weeding by the 15th and began to top dress the beds with compost. I had started a new shade garden in the spring and added this barrel to a spot that has yet to be planted.

Note: the pics are out of order - just another newby glitch!

I've also got a bumper crop of tall marigolds crowding out various herbs. They really did well in this raised bed. By the front walk my sedum is beginning to bloom and that means that the bees will be back. I love sedum Autumn Joy and struggle with its attraction to bees as I am very allergic to their stings! Finally, for this Bloom Day I included a pot of begonias with one new bloom. I brought this pot indoors last winter and plan to do so again. I find the variety and patterns of leave continually facinating and somewhat humorous.

That's some of what was blooming on the 15th. Today, my asters and salvias have started blooming and the roses are gearing up for a final show but that's for another blog.

Speaking of blogs, bees, and bloom days, check out Carol's bee story on maydreamsgardens on blogger.com - horrific! I've been there Carol!